Free from Banishment
by DamagedCargo
Summary: What if at the end of book 2 Katara wasn't interrupted from healing Zuko's scar? Well, this is what it's about. Not a zutara fic.


"You've got company!" The guard yelled. He threw Zuko down the hole and landed on his bottom surrounded by crystals.

"Uhh…" Zuko moaned. He looked up to see the water bending girl that travels with the avatar. Katara.

"Zuko!" She yelled! She looked up to the guards and noticed they were rolling a big rock to block them from escaping. She let out a short breath and looked back to the fire lord's son and stared in shock. "Why did they throw you in here?" She demanded. "Oh wait let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to help me you can finally have him in your little fire nation clutches." Katara spat.

Zuko looked up to say something then dropped his head again.

"You're a terrible person you know that! Always following us, hunting the avatar. Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace!" Katara cried angrily. She paced back and forth with her hands closed in a tight fist. "But what do _you_ care," She said softly. "You're the fire lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred and _blood_." She shivered at the mention of the word.

"You don't know what you're talking about. You-"

"I DON'T? You have no idea what this war has put me through personally!" Katara yelled outraged with a hint of sadness as she spoke. She crouched low opposite of where he was standing. "The fire nation took my mother away from me…" She whispered. Tears fell from her face and held the light blue necklace that had a water pattern on it. It was her mom's necklace.

Zuko looked to her guiltily, "I'm sorry"

Katara cried harder into her arms as she sat on the ground of the Ba-sing-se catacombs.

Then Zuko started to stand up, "Then I guess we have something in common." He said.

Katara raised her head with tears streaming down. She wiped a tear away. They were silent for a few moments.

Katara and Zuko stood up and faced each other. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before…" Katara said sympathetically.

"It doesn't matter." Zuko said looking away.

"It's just that for so long now whenever I pictured the face of the enemy, it was _your_ face."

"My face…" Zuko began. He touched his scar on his left eye. "I see."

"N-no. That's not what I meant." Katara said walking toward him.

"It's ok" Zuko said looking down at the ground. "I used to think this scar marked me, the mark the banished prince cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny. Even if I'm never free of my mark…"Zuko said.

"Maybe you could be free of it." Katara said. Hearing this, Zuko's eyes widened a little.

"What?"

"I have healing abilities." Katara said.

"It's a scar." He replied coldly. "It can't be healed.

Katara took something from the pouch attached to her dress. "This is water from the spirit oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work…" She trailed off.

Slowly her hand went up and touched Zuko's scar. He closed his eyes. She took a deep breath and bended the water out of the bottle it was kept in. The water absorbed into her hand turning it clear, like water. She touched Zuko's scar again but this time his scar lit up a silky moon silver color. The light was blinding and Katara had to squint her eyes to see what she was doing. She slowly moved her hand back and forth and Zuko stood there calmly. They stayed like this for several minutes. Close to each other in the beautiful crystal catacombs. Suddenly the light faded. Zuko slowly opened his eyes and Katara regained sight now that the shimmering light was gone. She looked up to his face. His face, with no scar. He was healed. She smiled. Zuko smiled too. He ran to the water's edge and looked down into the black water. There was no scar. He laughed. He ran to Katara and hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you for regaining my pride. Even if the scar is still with me in my head, I can tell I will be free forever. Thank you." He whispered into her ear.

**Done! Phew! That took me forever! The first part was actually from Book two Earth Chapter 20. But the last chapter was all me!**


End file.
